So, where will you be fishing the MN opener?

[Otter]

Only one more week to go! Where will you be fishing the MN opener? I think I'll start on Lake Irving - if there's room for one more boat!

[tbomn]

My secret lake, Ellim Scal Lake..................

[Sledboy]

Ditto the Ellim Scal,love that lake.The accesses are always a hoot on opener,get mine in early friday and watch the show.

[Otter]

Forget Ellim Scal, I cleaned it out last year in one of my better dreams.

[Pitts]

Otter step away from the CLAM BAR just step away:)

Try trolling the shallow flat next to shore on the south side of the lake it is big with a lot of rifts and valleys from 6 to 9 ft.
The eyes stay in there all day.

Pitts

[Koldfront Kraig]

Funny - Ellim Scal.

Being a little on the dyslexic side, I caught that right away.

Thats my destination also. Staying at Father Hennipen. Fishing south side saturday morning, then saturday night on the north end.

Pitts I'll keep my eye open for a red Skeeter.

If you see a white tiller one with pretty blue stripes, thats me.

What channel do you guys use on the radio?

[tbomn]

I'll be on 80, but will leave the scanner on.

[Leechboy]

Been watching some natives pull loads of fish out in front of the dock at Emille Scal. It looks like the hot technique is gills nets. No red beads needed! While walking boat to boat on opener there, please stop to say "hi".. I'll our you a totty. -lb

[Hines R]

Lake of the Woods out of Baudette!

A lot of years I skip opener but this year it just worked into the schedule so that it made more sense to go. I've also been just chomping at the bit.

The wive's like to call the boat's "The Other Woman"! I was out rubbing the other woman and getting her ready this weekend. I ran the third bank in my battery charger back to the main motor battery, and we carpet cleaned the boat's. This will allow me to leave the livewell on over night without finding a dead battery the next morning, and also just some extra peace of mind.

I also checked all battery water levels, and boy did my trolling motor battery's need water. I won't make that mistake again. I'll probably be replacing one of the trolling battery's later this week because I think it was pretty much dry. We'll see if it holds a charge.

Good luck to everybody out fishing, and remember it all quites down again after opener. It'll be interesting to see if LOW is busier because the governor will be their.

Ryan

[Xplorer1]

Basswood Lake, BWCA. Gonna have a little peace and quiet before i hit the St Louis river for the next few weeks of bumper boats. Then Kabby for a long memorial day weekend camping/fishing trip.
Xplorer

[ND Guest]

Devils Lake ND!!! Due to Mr. Hatch, I'm staying home this year. I'll never spend another dime fishing in Minnesota.

[LLG]

Great idea! You've have the same attitude as some of my buddies who won't hunt in ND.

[Hines R]

Maybe I missed something from the NODAK guy, and I won't even get into all the North Dakota jokes I know since I grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota. But who's Mr. Hatch and what did he personally do to you?

I wound up getting divorced when I lived in Wisconsin so I sort of wound up with a natural beef against the state, but I sure don't hold it against the fish, lakes, or the fisherman.

The interesting thing is that most of the people from near Fargo, North Dakota who own lake cottages own them in Minnesota. I guess they don't have as many lakes or something. I'll refrain from making the statewide statement since that wouldn't be true.

Ryan

[Otter]

Pitts, Spirit Island has been good to me early with Sloppy Joes coming on strong later. I think I'll try to get down there this year before the DNR changes the slot! :P

[Rippin_Eyes]

Mille Lacs all the way!!!!!! Dog What kind of camper are you going to be in??? We are going to be staying there aswell. we will be in a Sandpiper 5th wheel. The scan will be on in the boat and the camper so give a shout out!!

[wiswalleyenut]

Working in Wisconsin unfortunately, but will be on Winni the following weekend. My first time there, and really looking forward to it.

[JLDII]

Somewhere besides Mille Lacs. I've got the rest of the season to enjoy the big pond. I'm thinking either Waconia, or Minnetonka. Clearwater and Buffalo are other possibilities also. I guess I'll watch the weather, and see where the truck takes me.

[czy42strokes]

Going to start with leech then move to winnie if leech is off like last year.

[Funny]

I will be right in front of you at the boat ramp, trying to put in and start up for the first time, of course I will have forgot to put in the life jackets, bait bucket and cooler. Then because I forgot to take off the tie downs I will have to pull up and out, and spend another 5 minutes at the ramp. I will be the one fighting with my fishing line/autopilot mess while sitting on your spot as the wind blows me toward you. You of course will have to move out of the way or I will bump into your nice boat. I, because of this incident, will yell at you to get out of the way because I failed to see that I was the one at fault. I will be the one, at the end of a day fishing, will pull into the dock just ahead of you, tie up and go clean my fish while my boat blocks one of two places at the dock. You will have to try to manuver your trailer around my boat while I give you dirty looks and wonder "who could be so rude?". So in closing, remember to laugh at all that will go wrong on Sat. It won't be the end of the world, but it may seem funny at the time.

Good Luck to all. And by the way. I will be starting at Midnight so that I don't have to fight with the masses.

[mesmalls]

Vote #2 for Devils Lake, ND.

Here's my favorite NODAK joke (and I am born and raised hear)..

What are the three most beautiful sights in North Dakota?

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First, the beautiful badlands
then, the majestic Turtle Mountains
Last, the highway that exits Minot!

The minnesota lawsuit is a joke, just let us manage our resources and quit crying.

[Todd JK]

This is for Xplorer1 or anyone else with experience on the St. Louis River. Our family has a cabin in Lutsen, but as we drive through Duluth I always wonder what the bite is like on the St. Louis River. Do you have any recommendations on where to launch, productive areas and tactics. Do they make a good map of the river? Thanks.

[srj]

You will probably have the last parking spot on Irvine so I guess I have to go to L-O-W!! Should be fun to watch the Guv shivver if nothing else. I would guess the midnight traffic will be a bit lighter than usual here around Bemidji. It is cold!!
Good luck to all.

[Otter]

srj, it was 28 degrees when I got up this morning - I wussied out. You can have my parking space. :P

[JLDII]

Otter,

Funny isn't it, if we were going ice fishing, we'd be jumping up and down because it is so nice, but since it is open water fishing, we say it is too cold!

I'm at home too. I don't want to waste my time fighting crowds and cold front conditions. Maybe tonight or tomarrow I'll give it a shot.

[LOL]

I always like the "SKI NORTH DAKOTA" posters:

........SKI NORTH DAKOTA..................



















-----North Dakota Department of Tourism-----

[Otter]

Jack, I drove by the launch ramps today to check things out. There were so many rigs trying to get in or get out that it was a three ring circus. I'll be wetting my line on Monday after the crowds are gone. Good "late opener" to you.

[SoDakMac]

From what I have seen most MN fishermen will be at Waubay Lake, South Dakota.;-)

[Pitts]

Otter

I thought you said you would be fishing Lake Irving which is in Bemidji?

That is what my post references.
Pitts

[Xplorer1]

Fishing on the river is good thru at least july. Right now you can have very good luck up near the HWY 23 bridge with either jig/minnow or pulling harnesses down to boy scout landing. The biggest eyes make their way out to the south shore of Superior.
I should have stayed home and fought the crowds, it was in the teens on saturday morning and the fishing was very slow on Basswood. I know a guy that fished 4 in his boat on the river saturday and they caught 140+ fish on the river. Hope to be out tuesday/thursday evenings.
Xplorer

PS: sportsmans connection makes a spiral book of lakemaps in the duluth area that contains the river maps. It is bouyed all the way up past boy scout almost to the 23 bridge. Water was a bit low (low flow also) on saturday, but we have had rain all last night so maybe it will pick up.